Microsoft’s new update—Bad news confirmed For 400 million windows users

Microsoft is facing a surprising challenge as it struggles to convince 800 million Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11. With Windows 10 nearing end-of-support next October and sales of new AI PCs not meeting expectations, this holiday shopping season is critical.

According to the latest Windows stats from November, the transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 has slowed. While the global shift only accounts for around 1%—10 to 15 million users—the situation is worse in the US. Windows 10’s market share in the US increased from 58% to 61%, while Windows 11 dropped from nearly 40% to below 37%.

The global numbers fall within a margin of error, but the US numbers are clear-cut. This shift comes after Microsoft announced a 12-month extended support option for Windows 10 users starting next October, costing $30 per PC. For those sticking with Windows 10, this could be worth it.

What’s causing this shift? It’s possible that Windows 10 users, knowing they can get support through October 2026, are choosing to stay put. Despite Microsoft’s efforts to push users to upgrade, constant ads and reminders are not proving effective.

The twist is that around 400 million users lack the hardware to upgrade. Microsoft has warned that upgrading on non-compatible PCs could stop updates and invalidate warranties. With AI features still limited, users might see little downside in delaying a hardware upgrade.

Microsoft emphasizes that Windows 11 is more secure than Windows 10. This change means 10-15 million users are now taking risks they would otherwise be protected against. Not good news.

On Tuesday, Microsoft essentially slammed the door on any hardware backtrack for Windows 11 upgrades. TPM 2.0, a key requirement, offers advanced encryption and integrates with Secure Boot and Windows Hello for Business to enhance security. Microsoft made it clear: TPM 2.0 is necessary for a secure IT environment with Windows 11, part of the larger Zero Trust strategy.

This means those 400 million machines that don’t make the cut are likely headed for landfill sites, with users having to upgrade by October 2026 at the latest. While some upgrades on incompatible hardware are allowed, support and warranties likely end.

Adding to the woes, Microsoft’s flagship AI feature, Recall, is apparently broken. TechRadar reports that the Recall feature, recently live for Windows Insiders, is plagued by bugs. Some testers found that it didn’t work at all, and Microsoft has not yet provided a fix.

The Register explains that the issue is due to a non-security preview update. Users who installed this update and joined the Windows Insider Dev channel faced problems with Recall. This kind of release bug is a risk, but anything Recall related has added sensitivities and attention.

As Microsoft heads into 2025, it wants hundreds of millions of Windows 10 users to upgrade hardware for reasons beyond the threat of withdrawn support—perhaps even before they pay $30 for extended support.

With these ongoing issues, users might be better off paying the $30 and waiting until 2026 to upgrade to an AI PC, by when hopefully the situation will have smoothed out.